


Winter Boy

by FluffyKasady, freshiewrites



Series: The Winter Chronicals [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Aunt Pepper Potts, Bucky Barnes & Winter Soldier are Different Personalities, Bucky has it, Depictions of depression, Depression, Fluff, Haphephobia, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Not exactly Steve Rogers Friendly, PTSD, Panic Attacks, Protective Jarvis (Iron Man movies), Service Animal, Stark Tower, Uncle Bucky Barnes, Winter is a separate personality, dad tony stark, he redeems himself, minor fluff, tony has it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:21:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23453143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FluffyKasady/pseuds/FluffyKasady, https://archiveofourown.org/users/freshiewrites/pseuds/freshiewrites
Summary: Tony doesn’t know about Winter. Winter is okay with that arrangement.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Series: The Winter Chronicals [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1687177
Comments: 5
Kudos: 78





	Winter Boy

**Author's Note:**

> god okay so i had most of this written like... several months ago and i just now finished it forgive the shortness lol
> 
> enjoy!! read the tags!!

If Bucky had to admit to anything, and he  _ wouldn’t  _ unless it was life or death (and even then probably not), he was… grateful, that Winter hadn’t disappeared when Shuri had put him through his last go through with the BARF machine. He’d opened his eyes, having just relived the last nightmare that had been giving him issues, and had whispered a tentative “ _ hey bud, you there? _ ” in his head. 

There had been silence for too long of a second, before the reassuring “ _ Yes, idiot _ .” came and he relaxed. He celebrated with Shuri, his one friend (Rogers didn’t count as a friend, not after the blood he’d put on Bucky’s hands), and had left Wakanda with a relatively clear head and all the comforts of the backpack of possessions Shuri had made for him.

Stark had picked up his signature almost immediately, which, Bucky really hadn’t been trying to stay hidden in the first place. Even if he had, though, Stark was smart. Smarter than Shuri, smarter than anyone Bucky had ever met, and he’d met a lot of smart people ( _ don’t think about how many scientists, doctors, professors you’ve killed, their blood still warm on your hands _ ). 

Stark had shown up, without the armor, in Central Park, where Bucky was buying a hot dog with the last of his american money. He only needed to eat every few days, even weeks, if he really had to stretch it, but he’d been slightly hungry and Winter had never tried a New York style ‘dog. Really, it was a travesty, so Bucky had geared up, let Winter take over long enough to get a good bite, then take back over as the presence of a threat popped up in his periphery. 

Stark had just been standing there, watching him behind the sunglasses he wore to press conferences, the brown ones, darker than a New Moon. They gave away nothing, which was precisely what Stark wanted. Bucky stared back, then pointedly took another bite of ‘dog and jerked his thumb in the general direction of what was once again  _ Stark  _ Tower. 

“You takin’ me in, or what?”

Stark had huffed a laugh, bringing his wallet out of his pocket to buy a hot dog for himself before he started walking, right past Bucky and up the path. There was only one glance back, a raised brow giving away the impatience in it, before Bucky got the hint and followed.

“You know, there’s nothing quite like a New York style ‘dog. I’ve had the ones in LA, I’ve had the ones in Chicago, and there’s just no comparison, no comparison at all.” Stark said, ranting on about the difference in hot dogs depending on region, and while both Bucky and Winter were  _ eating  _ up the information, useless as it might be, they were also curious what Stark’s play was. Why the hell was the billionaire walking with him, through Central Park, eating a damn hot dog?

Still, nothing else was discussed (if you can call one man ranting about the travesties of the Chicago dog a discussion) until they reached the end of the path, leading back to the main roads. 

“So, tall dark and metal, where are you headed?” Tony asked, quirking that same brow that made Bucky want to… well, he wasn’t actually sure. It made him feel some emotion, he knew that, but as to which one? He was clueless.

“Wherever someone won’t know me by name. Where I can get an honest job and make an honest living and I don’t have to kill anymore.” Winter decidedly didn’t say anything, didn’t want to add anything to the maelstrom of anxiety Bucky was already dealing with. He was just better about hiding it.

Tony stared at him for a long moment, as if gauging his honesty, then chuckled. “Well, I’ve got just the place, if you’re interested.”

Did he really have a choice? Bucky thought probably not. Either way, he wasn’t getting away without hurting someone, or himself.

_ “Hope you know what you’re doing.” _ Winter snarked, and Bucky just let him be cynical. He’d be okay. They’d both be okay. So down the rabbit hole they went.

**Author's Note:**

> if you enjoyed, consider leaving a comment ^^


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